Rodgers declined the opportunity to speak to Liverpool
about the vacancy 12 days ago, and instead the club's hierarchy sought a meeting with Wigan's Martinez.

But despite that rejection, he remained
firmly in FSG’s thoughts because of the impression he made last season,
steering Swansea to 11th place thanks to results such as a 0-0 draw at
Anfield and a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at the Liberty Stadium.

The proposed appointment of Louis Van Gaal as sporting director looked
increasingly unlikely on Wednesday night with Rodgers demanding complete
control of football matters.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre met
the Dutchman in Portugal last week but the former Bayern Munich, Ajax
and Barcelona manager is believed to have made it clear that he also
wanted to be considered for the role in charge of the first team.

Therefore the hopes of Louis van Gaal landing the position of sporting director in the shake-up have dramatically receded.

One of the first acts Rodgers could
perform is to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson, as the Iceland midfielder has not
had a medical at Swansea and his £6.8million move from Hoffenheim has
not been ratified.

Rodgers' managerial career began at Watford in 2008
after coaching spells at Reading and Chelsea.

His return to Reading was an unhappy one
but, after his appointment as Swansea boss
in July 2010, Rodgers guided his Welsh side to promotion to the top
flight in May 2011, making Swansea the first Welsh team to reach the
Premier League.